Alcoholics Anonymous offers individuals in recovery a safe, private, and supportive community paired with a proven 12-step program. No matter what brings you to joining a support group, going to AA should be intentional. We put together a quick guide to explain what AA meetings are like, the different types of meetings, and other details to make the process less intimidating.
Reasons for Joining Alcoholics Anonymous
There are many reasons to attend AA meetings, and most members choose to do so voluntarily. Only about 12-14% of AA members join through legally mandated channels, usually by judicial order or through programs run by correctional facilities.
While everyone has their own motivations for joining AA, some of the most common reasons include:
- Personal choice
- Encouraged by friends and family
- Employer-mandated
- Legal requirement
- Part of a correctional program
How Do You Join AA?
You show up. It’s that simple. To become an AA member, you join a support group; no forms, registration, or certifications are required. You won’t need to provide any personally identifiable information or attend an orientation.
According to the AA website, the only requirement for membership is “a desire to stop drinking.”
Is AA Free to Attend?
Another positive for AA: there’s no cost to join. AA meetings are free to attend, although most will have a voluntary donation before or after to help cover expenses.
How Do I Find AA Meetings Near Me?
There are several ways to find AA meetings in your community. If your attendance is mandatory, your judge or parole officer will usually provide information on where to find AA meetings nearby; in many cases, they will include the location, time, and contact information to make it easier to get started.
Otherwise, there are several ways to find meetings in your city, including:
- AA.org: The official AA website offers a searchable directory of AA meetings right on its homepage; simply search using your state, city, or zip code.
- AA-meetings.com: A website dedicated to providing updated meeting information, plus additional resources.
A simple Google search for “AA meetings near me” will also yield additional results.
What Happens at AA Meetings?
It’s often the first question court-ordered attendees ask: “What are AA meetings like?”
There are actually different types of AA meetings, and you’ll want to know the distinctions between open and closed meetings before you attend.
Open vs. Closed AA Meetings
- Open meetings are open to anyone interested in AA, and non-alcoholics may attend as observers.
- Closed meetings are for AA members or those with a desire to stop drinking. These are the types of meetings individuals with court mandates must attend.
What to Expect at a Closed AA Meeting
- The chair, or leader, of the meeting will open with a preamble and remarks. Some meetings start with a moment of silence or the Serenity Prayer.
- Next, the leader will ask if any new AA attendees would like to introduce themselves. You don’t have to identify yourself as a new attendee, but it’s often a great way to break the ice and get the most out of attendance.
- The leader may also read from the Big Book, a resource on organizational principles and a reminder of the importance of privacy and anonymity.
- Meetings end with a general, unstructured conversation. Members are usually eager to introduce themselves to new attendees and offer their support.
Read More: MeetingMaker FAQs
Do I Have to Prove my Attendance?
If you’re referred to AA by the courts, legal counsel, or a correctional facility, you’ll need to verify attendance. Remember, AA and its members don’t care if you’re there voluntarily or required to attend; they want you to succeed.
To that end, meetings handle verification differently. Some will verify sheets before or after meetings, though digital, GPS-based verification tools like MeetingMaker allow for accurate but discrete attendance tracking without having to deal with a piece of paper. This makes it much less intimidating to attend AA meetings and ask for a signature in front of other members.
Remove the Stigma of Mandatory Attendance
MeetingMaker is committed to providing private, accurate attendance verification so you can focus on recovery, not a piece of paper. Our app is designed to give you discretion in sharing why you’re at AA, protecting your privacy and dignity.
Download the app today for free on iOS or Android and attend your first AA meeting in control of your privacy.